• SideBar

    Side Bar: A cultural smorgasbord

    May was super busy, super fun, and boy did it cost me. More on that later! This month was sort of the calm before the storm because summer kicks off some serious and important engagement events. It also marks the first month since December where we did have multiple huge community events (just one, so not so bad!). I leaned into it by attending a ton of cultural events that always makes me so proud to call this city home. First, with a Cinco de Mayo celebration hosted by the Mexican consulate—who confirmed this is not a holiday celebrated in Mexico but that it exists in the imagination of Americans…

  • Law School,  Legal Practice,  Work Life Balance

    Graduation Gift Guide: Law Student Edition 2022

    Well, grads, you did it! I know that the last few weeks before the semester ends, things are stressful and bittersweet because this chapter is ending. I remember how excited I was when I finished high school, how sad I was to be done with college, and how terrified but proud and grateful I felt to finish law school. I mentioned that in law school, especially, it is a swirl of emotions. It’s so much excitement about finally FINALLY being done with school, with earning a hard-fought degree, but also that bar exam looming in the corner not letting you quite truly celebrate. But you still need to celebrate! And…

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  • SideBar

    Side Bar: Finding the Point

    Ok, it feels slightly silly to do this when idk if we’re close to war. Again. On one hand I want to just throw everything in the air and say what is the point. And really, what is the point? But I also naturally am inclined to push back against that type of fatalistic attitude. It’s easy to stop doing routines, self-care, or working towards goals when things get tough but I prefer to keep at it (or maybe ignoring all the bad is my way to cope! Lol). Either way this is a no judgement zone! So welcome to March! It’s actually my favorite month because it’s my birthday…

  • SideBar,  Work Life Balance

    Sidebar: Surviving a Chicago Winter

    Happy new year (a month and two weeks late)! It’s so funny because in the fall, I wrote about how things felt a little more normal and then of course the next wave came and put everything back on pause. How much longer is this going to take? Very frustrating. But easing into the year wasn’t a bad thing, it let me really plan out my time and focus on my health a little more. And that was really the theme in January–getting more in tune with how I feel/making healthier decisions. So, I think I mentioned that at my annual the Dr realized I had extremely low vitamin D.…

  • SideBar,  Work Life Balance

    Sidebar: Grateful

    This month felt a lot more like the “before times” than ever before and that is a good and bad thing. So the good, because of the booster, we felt comfortable enough visiting my in-laws, which I haven’t seen in a long time. This meant an overnight trip the farm! I haven’t been there in forever and while some things were a little different (no more cows), everything else was like nothing had changed. Good food, E got to play IT expert to make sure his parents stay connected to the internet and it was really nice to get away. It’s hard to describe how calm and quiet it is.…

  • SideBar

    Side Bar: We’re Back!

    Hi, remember side bar posts? Where I share a bit about general things happening my life to keep things fresh and interesting?! I barely remember that. Frankly, sheltering in place and then working during a pandemic meant things were pretty boring. How many virtual zoom meetings could I talk about?! But things are feeling more “normal,” and being tripled vaxx’d (yes, booster included), I feel so much better going out to community (a job requirement) and not just staying at home. October included a trip up north, which was nice—minus having to evacuate a theatre because of a shooting—thankfully we were far from the danger! I spent most of the…

  • SideBar

    Side Bar: What is even going on?

    Ok like how is it only barely March and we’ve experienced being on the brink of war and now a pandemic, like 2020 are you ok?! I mean it is my bday month, so I guess things have to start looking up, but the darkest timeline is going haywire. Anyway, I’m sure everyone is as confused/concerned about everything as I am. One of the silver linings is that I have gotten real serious about reducing waste. I’ve started experimenting with a lot of plant based recipes (though I don’t think I’ll ever get on soy/tofu train because the texture seems yuck to me), but that has been fun and while…

  • Work Life Balance

    Holy Grail Products

    I mentioned before that I always wear makeup if I’m stepping out of the house. I’m sure there is plenty to flesh out there as to why I feel the need to do this but instead of getting introspective it’s much more fun to share my fave products! Putting on a full face is super easy for me because I’ve been able to find key items that take away questioning (i.e what type of mascara should I use today?) and give me the results I like.   Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery. A mouthful of a name but all I know it is as the…

  • SideBar

    Sidebar: It’s been a year or, I’m back bb!

    Hello, So, for my ride and dies, I’m so sorry we’ve had such a long pause on the sidebar series. It’s been a minute. For those that are new, sidebar is just way fo me to share some (usually fun) updates on my life. I like giving this peek into my month to month because I find it less likely for people to take guidance and advice from some rando. It’s also fun to get to know each other this way! But having said that, you probably noticed sidebar stopped around March and that is because I was in a weird spot that was not super easy for me to…

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  • Work Life Balance

    The Perfect Nude [Lipstick]

    It’s been a while since I’ve shared favorite lippies and thought this would be a good time because I have such a mix of colors that I’ve been reaching for on rotation. As always when we talk about makeup–you do you, it’s most def not a necessary component to look “professional.” But if you enjoy it, then let’s dig in! I continue to prefer nudes and neutrals for work, but have added a little more color, especially for days where I have events in the evening. Que Linda x Vive Cosmetics: It’s a great neutral, lasts forever (like all vive products) super good quality and just nice for an every…